There were shocking facts revealed earlier this week at the IWC (International Whaling Committee) on the cruelty of the Japanese whaling program.Â
It has been revealed that one third of the whales harpooned by Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean last summer were pregnant. The data also showed the inhumane way in which whale foetuses were torn from their mothers on board the factory ship.
The Japanese Government continues to be the number one threat to whales. They cruelly and needlessly hunt whales by exploiting a loophole in the IWC’s charter despite stockpiling over 3000 tonnes of unwanted whale meat.
With meetings wrapping up prematurely today without any progress made to end whaling it has become very clear we cannot rely on the IWC to save the whales. We must continue with increased public pressure in Japan, where the real change will happen.
Greenpeace campaigns to:
- keep up intense pressure on the Japanese Government who control the whaling program
- inform Japanese people how their tax dollars support a corrupt, wasteful and unprofitable whaling industry
- protect whales from other threats, including climate change, pollution and overfishing
- develop viable alternatives to whaling, such as whale watching
- create regional whale sanctuaries, eventually forming a global whale sanctuary
To keep up to date on the news from the IWC, please refer to the Greenpeace blog.
Whales Campaigner
Greenpeace Australia Pacific